Blessings Abound

Sharon Bray

Description

This book is based on the many blessings found in Scripture. In particular, Deuteronomy twenty-eight promises blessings for obedience. Psalm one speaks of blessing. The beatitudes found in Matthew and Luke list blessings for certain types of people. Ephesians 1:3-14 gives a host of spiritual blessings. This chapter was that catalyst for the author writing this book since she prayed for spiritual blessings and Lord took her there. The author focuses on the various Scriptures with respect to blessings. There are questions at the end of each chapter to ponder and reflect on. If the reader is down and depressed, the chapters should serve to lift him/her up. You are sure to be blessed as you read this book. Be sure to share it with others.

Sujets

• Bible Study Guides
• Biblical Studies
• Philosophie et théologie
• Religion
• Christian

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 24 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669837848
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

BLESSINGS ABOUND
Sharon Bray

Copyright © 2022 by Sharon Bray.
Library of Congress Control Number:
2022913135
ISBN:
Hardcover
978-1-6698-3786-2

Softcover
978-1-6698-3785-5

eBook
978-1-6698-3784-8
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Blessings Abound: Adult Study on Blessings Found in Scripture by Sharon Bray.
 
All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written authorization from the author.
 
Instances in this book where individuals are named and their circumstances are discussed are purely fictional. Any similarities to individuals and their lives are coincidental and not intended.
 
Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission. All rights reserved; and the King James Version, Public Domain.
 
 
 
Rev. date:  07/13/2022
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
835803
CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
 
Chapter 1General Blessings from Scripture
Chapter 2The Poor in Spirit
Chapter 3The Mournful
Chapter 4The Meek
Chapter 5The Hungry and Thirsty
Chapter 6Those Who Show Mercy
Chapter 7Pure in Heart
Chapter 8The Peacemakers
Chapter 9The Persecuted
Chapter 10The Hated
Chapter 11The Excluded, Insulted, and Rejected
Chapter 12Spiritual Blessings
Chapter 13Application
 
Notes
DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to the loving memory of my late husband, Marty Bray, and to my adult children, Stacy Folger and Justin Schroeder.
I also dedicate the book to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to thank my husband, Marty, for his support through the whole process of writing, typing, and all that was involved in getting this book written and published.
I also wish to thank my reading audience as you motivate and inspire me to keep on writing.
I have some friends who spur me on and though I can’t list them by name, you know who you are. I give you thanks and gratitude. My many thanks to all of the above listed.
INTRODUCTION
Blessings and Happiness
We will be focusing on the blessings contained in the Beatitudes spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. That sermon is probably the most famous sermon of Jesus known by man today. In the Beatitudes are contained various attitudes and the blessings that accompany them. We will focus on the Beatitudes one at a time and study them to determine what we can learn from them.
We will also look at the blessings found in Ephesians 1:3–14. Herein are listed several spiritual blessings that are for us to claim. We need to learn to live in God’s blessings.
Do you desire to be blessed and have the accompanying happiness? If so, this book is for you. I make no guarantees, but Jesus does in each Beatitude spoken by Him. That is what we will be concentrating on.
When you think of happy, what comes to mind? Perhaps being surrounded by family and friends or having your needs met. Maybe it’s having a dream come true or watching your plans succeed. What brings you happiness, you should focus on for a while.
As you read on, you will learn what Jesus spoke of that brings blessings and happiness. God is out to bless you and bring happiness and joy your way. There are conditions to be met for each of the blessings that can come your way. Some of them we cannot come by with force as they are situation-inspired. For instance, you are not going to force yourself to mourn when all is going well for you. Yet you can and should mourn with someone you know who is mourning and grieving. Romans 12:15 (NIV) states, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” I understand that pastors often have trouble with this as they need to change throughout the day from mourning to rejoicing.
Are you realizing God’s blessings in your life, or do you believe you are cursed instead? Somewhere in between lie the feelings of the blahs and blues and being depressed. Along with God’s blessings comes the overwhelming sense of peace. Recently much has been happening around me in the lives of my loved ones, and for the most part, I haven’t succumbed to anxiety and fretting. God showed me just this morning that it’s because I have His peace in my life.
If you are not experiencing God’s blessings in a recognizable way, perhaps you also are lacking in peace. The best way to obtain that peace is to put Philippians 4:6–7 into practice. As you place your requests before God’s throne, remembering to be thankful, in time—if not right away—you will experience God’s peace. You might not even recognize it as such, as was my case, but as you find circumstances not upsetting you and you experience contentment while enduring strife, you may be amazed to discover that God’s peace is indeed at work in you. With that newfound peace, you may soon realize God’s blessings as well.
Another thing that accompanies blessings besides peace is joy. According to 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV), joy is unspeakable and full of glory. Read 1 Peter 1:8–9. Here we learn that our joy is part and parcel with our salvation. We also read in Romans 15:13 that God fills us with joy and peace as we place our trust in Him.
As you read on, we will focus on a study of different sources of blessings. May you come away blessed and encouraged as you read through the pages of this book.
We are promised in Proverbs 10:6 (NIV) that “blessings crown the head of the righteous.” We also learn in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV), “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Therefore, as we become righteous through Christ, we experience blessings from God.
Blessings draw us close to God and help us recognize our dependence on Him. There are other verses in Scripture that focus on blessings, and we will touch on them as well. I invite you to come along for the journey into God’s Word and to discover the many blessings that await you.
In addition to this book and the Bible, you will need a notebook and pen. Be sure to answer the questions at the end of each chapter. In so doing, you will deepen your walk and hopefully draw closer to God. I invite you to read on and share what you glean with others. I will keep you in prayer as you study and learn, and maybe even struggle.
CHAPTER 1
General Blessings from Scripture
Let’s begin our study in the book of Psalms. The first verse of Psalm 1 (NIV) is a familiar one to many. It states, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers:” It goes on in verse 2 to read as follows: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law, he meditates day and night.” Dear reader, you are blessed as you walk with God in a pleasing and upright manner. Verse 3 tells us who such a person is to be compared to. That verse even contains a blessing of its own.
How do you line up with this psalm? Do you find yourself lacking, or do you fit the description to a tee? As you meditate on this psalm, you will notice there are conditions to be met for you to be able to receive the blessings. Number one: we cannot take counsel and follow it from the wicked. We cannot join in with sinners or participate in mockery. Those are things we cannot do. There are also positive things to focus on, such as loving God’s Word and meditating on it constantly.
Further blessings from this psalm include fruitfulness, not withering, and the work of our hands prospering. I pray as I wait on God and choose to serve Him that the books I write would touch lives, including yours, and in so doing to be a success of sorts. I define success as doing that which you enjoy and are called to do and being rewarded financially or otherwise in the process. I enjoy writing, and the main reward I wish to gain from doing so is for lives to be touched.
Old Testament Blessings
In early Old Testament days, men made it a practice to bless their sons before the demise of the patriarch. Those blessings had strong results as what was proclaimed as a blessing generally came to pass. At times, the blessings spoken were appropriate for each of the heirs (see Genesis 49:28). When dwelling in someone else’s household or a different nation, the people dwelling around you can be blessed because of your righteousness (see Genesis 39:5, Jeremiah 29:7). It matters not if the other people are believers. As you pray for them and seek their benefit, you will also be blessed.
There are blessings and promises given to us in Exodus 23:25–28. This really impresses on the need for worship and the blessings to follow. I find myself at present needing to grow in worship. Where do you find yourself in this regard? We can worship by music and singing and dancing, by speaki